Post Graduation

Master of Pharmacy [M.Pharm] is a postgraduate course in the field of pharmacy. This course deals with the aspects related with pharmacy. It is concerned with the division of health and chemical science which ensures the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drug. The duration of Master of Pharmacy [M.Pharm] is 2 years spread over four semesters.

The minimum eligibility for this course is a recommended minimum score of 50% in Bachelor of pharmacy from any recognized university or equivalent. The average tuition fee of Master of Pharmacy [M.Pharm] ranges from INR 50,000 to INR 1 lakh in government colleges and INR 2 lakh to 5 lakh in private colleges. Usually an entrance test is taken for the purpose of admission in this course. Most of the colleges accept the scores of relevant entrance test. After that an interview round may follow for selection process.

The demand for pharmacy graduates is rising rapidly. It is widespread in areas like government departments, teaching hospitals, research institute, universities and pharmaceutical industries. After completing this degree one can get an average annual package of 3 to 5 lakh.

What is Master of Pharmacy [M.Pharm]?

In the field of pharmacy, Master of Pharmacy [M.Pharm] is a postgraduate academic degree. Pharmacy is the subdivision of health sciences which teaches the students to prepare, dispense and optimally utilize drugs.

This course trains the students by imparting the knowledge of practical aspects of topics like industrial operations, instrumental techniques, research methodologies and emerging areas. At the end of every semester, candidates have to take an examination. At the end of last semester, the candidates also need to submit thesis. Pharmacy is the branch of science which is concerned with ensuring the safe and effective usage of pharmaceutical drugs. It offers specialization in fields like nutrition pharmacy, pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmaceutics, cardiovascular pharmaceutics, medicinal chemistry and pharmacognosy, oncology pharmacy, pharmaceutical analysis, pharmacy practice, psychiatry pharmacy, nuclear pharmacy and infectious disease pharmacy.

Who Should Opt for Master of Pharmacy [M.Pharm]?

Students with a strong liking for medicines and life sciences can excel at this course. The students who hold a keen interest in pharmacy should look no further than this course. An appealing personality and a lot of patience is a pre requisite for this course. The students with ethical awareness and interpersonal awareness can opt for this course. A sense of responsibility and strong logical thinking are other attributes which go well this course. Students with analytical thinking and patience can take this course and further develop themselves. This course suits well to the students who look for a fulfilling career in supporting health service of the country. Aspirants with excellent communication skills and a flair for convincing people are always welcomed in this course. Candidates with numeracy as their strongest suit are tailor made for this course.

Where to Study?

There are numerous colleges which offer Master degree in Pharmacy. Some top colleges among them are:

Eligibility Of the Master of Pharmacy [M.Pharm]

The minimum eligibility for this course is a degree in Bachelor in Pharmacy program with a recommended minimum score of 50%. An entrance exam is the preferred mode of admission by most colleges for this course. Most of the colleges accept the score of entrance test like Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test (GPAT). The candidates with their graduation results awaited are welcomed to apply for this course.

How to Get Admission in Master of Pharmacy [M.Pharm]

For admissions in Master of Pharmacy [M.Pharm], the most common path goes through entrance exams. Most of the universities accept scores of GPAT. After entrance, the candidates may have to undergo a counseling process as per the specific requirement by university. Some of the universities follow this process by and personal interview. The scores at each stage are accumulated according to respective weights and candidates are selected on the basis of final score.

Entrance Tests:

As the preferred route to this course by most of the universities is entrance test, some of the most popular tests are described below:

GPAT: Conducted every year by All India Council for Technical Education, GPAT is a national level exam. It asks questions from the fields like pharmaceutics, pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacology and pharmacognosy.

APPGECET Pharmacy: Andhra Pradesh Post Graduate Engineering Common Entrance Test is a state level exam to take admissions in postgraduate programs in pharmacy colleges in Andhra Pradesh.

AIPSSCET: All India PG Super Specialty Common Entrance Test is a national level entrance exam conducted for taking admissions in postgraduate programs in pharmacy.

Each entrance test has its own syllabus but some topics remain covered in all of their syllabi. Such topics are demonstrated in the figure given below:

Pharmaceutics

Pharmaceutical Chemistry

Pharmacology

Pharmacognosy

Selection Process:

The selection criterion for admissions in Master of Pharmacy differs from institute to institute.

Some of the universities take admission only on the basis of scores in the entrance exams conducted by them.

However, there are some universities which may go for a counseling procedure. It can also be followed by group discussion and interview stage. The candidates who pass each stage and get through are selected for final admissions on the basis of accumulated score so far.